Uconn

Friction adds even more fuel to women's hoop final With video report BY ROGER CLEAVELANDRepublican-American

Notre Dame head coach Muffet McGraw answers a question during a news conference at the NCAA women's Final Four college basketball tournament Monday, April 7, 2014, in Nashville, Tenn. Notre Dame is scheduled to face Connecticut in the championship game Tuesday. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — As if today's game between Notre Dame and UConn didn't have enough drama attached to it already due to the historical significance of being the first national championship basketball game between two undefeated teams, it became clear Monday just how much intensity and friction exists between the two programs.

Irish head coach Muffet McGraw went so far to say that hated is a fair word to describe the feelings between the two teams.

"I think that is a fair assumption," she said. "It is a fierce rivalry. It's heated. I don't think there's any question it's the most intense rivalry we've ever been involved with. I think it's the lack of respect. I think that it is the heated intensity of the games. It's the bragging rights that go along with the wins. It's a lot of those things."

Indications of the animosity began to show Saturday afternoon at the Associated Press awards ceremony during which McGraw was honored as the National Coach of the Year and UConn sophomore Breanna Stewart earned National Player of the Year honors. As Stewart went up to accept her award, McGraw reportedly didn't clap and had an angry look on her face.

"There was definitely tension in the room," McGraw said. "We wanted Kayla McBride to win the Player of the Year award. So, I think it was a little bit of that. And certainly, the rivalry has gone a little away from the civility that was when we were in the (Big East) together."

She said that where there was once mutual respect between the programs, at least between herself and UConn coach Geno Auriemma there aren't a whole lot of good feelings. It's strange, because they both grew up in Philly, coached in the same circles and have been very respectful of each other, if not friendly, through the years.

No longer.

"We don't have a relationship," McGraw said. "I think that (the civility) got lost. When we were in the same conference I think there was a modicum of it but I think after beating them and not feeling any respect from that, we lost something."

When asked if the civility can come back, she said that would be difficult.

The normally outspoken Auriemma tried not to get caught up in a battle of words. But as he rationalized how intensity could build within a rivalry, you could tell he wasn't happy.

"Nobody knows what it's like being us," Auriemma said. "Nobody knows what we go through every day, what our players go through. Every time they win an award, everybody gets (angry), because it's all Connecticut all the time. People are sick of it. It's just natural. We live with it 365 days a year. So, if you are going to come in and try to live in that air, then you need to deal with it."

The players handled themselves somewhat better than their coaches, but they admitted there is a certain edge to this rivalry.

"I think there is an intensity factor," Notre Dame senior Kayla McBride said. "I think a lot of people go in playing UConn and they see their jerseys and they've already lost the game. We're not like that. I think we have a certain swag to us. We already don't like each other so that adds to it, too."

McBride said she likes most of the Huskies and has played with Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis, Bria Hartley and Stefanie Dolson. She also respects Auriemma, who coached her at the USA Basketball national team mini-camp. But, she added, as a member of the Notre Dame program she dislikes the Huskies.

"It's definitely intense," Irish guard Jewell Loyd said. "I think it's one of the best rivalries in the game. It does a lot for women's basketball and women's sports. We haven't played them this year, but you still have that tension. We see each other in the hallways and you're still kind of, 'Hey,' but you still feel that tension between us."

Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis said the Huskies "probably" have the same sort of dislike for the Irish, but that it should translate well into a spirited game.

"It is going to be a dogfight out there," she said. "Both of us want to win this national championship so bad. With us beating them last year and just our history that goes so far back with Notre Dame, it is going to be brewing up in the game. I think all the players on each team are going to come out trying to smell the blood in the water and see who takes advantage of it first."

Stewart said she didn't feel any tension at the AP awards ceremony, but she admits the Huskies have a little more of an edge to their approach to games against the Irish.

"I think that with Notre Dame, we all have a chip on our shoulder, just because they beat us three times last year," Stewart said. "I've lost four times in my career and three of those have been to Notre Dame. And I think that when you can count them on one hand you're going to remember every single one of those. They beat us at Gampel. They beat us in three overtimes. They beat us in the Big East tournament.

"I don't like thinking like that because I don't like losing. And that's what makes you want to go out and just really give up your all on Tuesday night."

When asked if beating Notre Dame tonight would erase the memories of last year's losses, she said she didn't think so because the two teams play in South Bend, Ind. next season.

"I'm still not going to like them," she said. "But I think that it'll definitely help cover (the memories) up a little bit."

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